2003 (TU)
Events * The "true history" philosophical movement, which considers itself "a view of reality as actually real," takes form as a reaction against the excesses of postmodernism. Toren Cargill quickly becomes one of its leading lights. * In response to LA's ever-increasing population and traffic congestion, Mayor Daniel Montoya divides the city into twelve different time zones, each with different mandated work hours. The system is unique in the world, but appears to be working. * Team Tomorrow-Americas opens its headquarters in Mexico City. * Hong Kong actor Richard Li ("Rick Tiger") erupts while in the middle of a botched stunt. * Dr. Evard Burghalter is assigned to his position as director of Project Utopia's Science and Technology division, after the death of his predecessor Dr. Bodil Sutherland. * Future Assistant Director in charge of Project Utopia's Recruitment division, Dieter Elendsohn, joins Project Utopia. * Divis Mal "joins" the fledgling Teragen, essentially taking over while offering its members guidance. * When a rogue elite attacks his vessel, US Navy Seaman Jesse Hooks erupts. * German Parliament passes a law imposing a tax on novas visiting Germany, with the proviso that novas who volunteer for temporary community service were exempt. * Petr Illyanovich arranges for the city of Omsk in Russian Siberia to be acquired for use by the Directive. * An accident at a drilling site in the North Sea results in a fire which would have caused an environmental catastrophe, had DeVries novas not been there to contain the fire and prevent crude oil from spilling into the water. ExxonMobil uses the incident as proof of responsible corporate citizenship. * Precognitive nova John Argyle debuts his Argus Agency, and uses his particular abilities to undercut DeVries on several key contracts. * Shawna McShane erupts after New York City police attack her at an animal rights demonstration. She later goes by the name "Fauna" as one of the founders of Greenwar. * Ryan Abbnet erupts during a raid on an animal testing lab. He later goes by the name "Animus" as one of the founders of Greenwar. * "Ironskin" Andy Vance, as one of the first "out" novas, founds the Queer Nova Alliance (QNA). January * January 1: The N! channel debuts on cable and satellite systems in 47 countries. A spinoff of the E! channel, N! is dedicated solely to the activities of novas. Among other features, it includes biographies of popular novas, quasi-scientific explorations of nova abilities and physiology, nova sports, and nova-related news from around the world. By April, N! becomes the highest-rated channel ever. February * February 12: An editorial appears in the New York Times, entitled "Should Justice Wear a Mask?" March * March 5: In an N! intra-departmental memo from Geoffrey Gold, VP of Programming, to Anne Binghamton, Director of Programming, Gold asks Birmingham to have a lot more action-oriented shows for the next season, and fewer "chick shows." * March 9: Team Tomorrow stages a dramatic rescue of the space shuttle Discovery after it is struck by a sizable meteor. The strike knocks the shuttle off-course and ignites an oxygen tank. The entire crew survives. This event marks the point at which governments begin to consider novas for space operations and exploration. April * April 7: On N! Sight with Parker Stevenson, Parker Stevenson interviews hyper-intelligent nova Cassandra. Cassandra is indignant about the exploitation of novas. * April 11: Hugo Pinella, bodyguard to Luciano Camparelli, writes in his diary that he's bitter about having to write a diary at all, but Mr. C told him to do what the doctor said, since it'll help him figure out what's going on in Pinella's head since he erupted. * April 28: On N! Sight with Parker Stevenson, Parker Stevenson interviews Team Tomorrow nova Skew. Skew knows he's being exploited, but for the salary he gets, he doesn't care. May * May 6: Project Utopia announces plans to terraform the Ethiopian Highlands. The project, a cooperative venture between Project Utopia, the UN and the Ethiopian government, marks the first attempt at engineering widespread geographical and environmental changes within a region. The project is known alternately as Project Abyssinia and Operation Eden. * Summer: Shrapnel and Swarm Queen are invited onto the Orzaiz roundtable, along with James "Geryon" Booth and Jeremiah Scripture. Scripture's contribution to the movement is the philosophy of Teras, which holds that novas are omens—the Marvels of the day, Portents of the future, and the Monsters of baselines' nightmares. June * Playthings: The International Merchandising Magazine of the Toy Industry lists the best-selling action figures with licensing agents: **# Tötentanz (DeVries, Alpha series) **# Duke "Core" Baron (Novation, Series I) **# Jake "Dragon" Korelli (DeVries, Alpha series) **# Hiram "Slag" Goldberg (Novation, Series I) **# Kikjak (Novation, Series I) **# Lotus Infinite (DeVries, Alpha series) **# Lance "Stone Badguy" Stryker (Novation, Series I) **# Sarge In-Charge (DeVries, Alpha series) **# Harmony (Novation, Series I) **# Randel "The Fireman" Portman * June 6: An internal Department of Defense memo details the conclusion of several DOD scientists: in short, novas can potentially do literally anything imaginable. Regrettably, as a nova increases in power, the M-R node grows, impinging on the frontal lobe. This leads to less mental stability and even personality disorders. The memo closes with: "The last thing we need is a bunch of psychos with the power of gods...." August * Project Utopia purchases a plot of land on Talaud Island, the future home of Team Tomorrow-Asia/Pacific. September * September 15: A house fire claims the lives of the wife and children of Utopian Thomas Schuyler in Villa Mariposa, a Project Utopia gated community. The fire seemed to have no origin point; it was simply everywhere at once. Project Proteus was likely involved somehow. * September 25: A terrorist organization sets off an explosion in São Paulo using primitive fusion technology. Over 30 city blocks are levelled, and hundreds are killed. Team Tomorrow Americas arrives immediately to supply aid and assist in the investigation. Despite repeated reports of nova involvement in the bombing, no one has to date been charged. It is the most expensive attack in history, causing an estimated $20 billion in damage. October * US News & World Report reports that Project Utopia has teamed up with law-enforcement agencies around the world to create the World Organized Crime and Terrorism Task Force, and it's going after the Mafia, and everyone else involved in organized crime throughout the world. * Melissa Weatherby becomes Shadow Civil Service Spokesman. * October 7: The Triton Foundation announces the discovery of a vaccine for AIDS. The World Health Organization declares October 7 "Red Ribbon Day" and, with the help of health organizations on the national and local levels, vaccinates 90% of the world population by the end of the year. December * December 4: An article in the Weekly World News exclaims that lost Biblical passages reveal that JESUS WAS A NOVA! * December 10: Henri Mazarin and Farah Rashoud receive the Nobel Prize in biology for their research into nova physiology and the discover of the M-R node. * December 31: Æon Society census reports approximately 2800 known novas in the world population. References Category:Trinity Universe timeline